Blind Spot: 'Star Wars'

Editor’s note: We asked Tribune writers to reflect on a piece of the larger cultural puzzle (a popular TV show, a movie, a book, etc.) they were missing — until now.

For someone who had never seen a “Star Wars” movie, I felt like I knew everything I needed to know about the iconic franchise through osmosis. Luke, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca — I knew who all these characters were and had a vague idea of how they related to each other.

I knew the often-quoted lines: “May the force be with you,” “The force is strong with this one” and the spoiler to end all spoilers, “Luke, I am your father.”

That’s why I never had the desire to watch any of the “Star Wars” films. I knew the big plot points. I knew the spoiler in the second movie, and unlike a lot of movie fans, I don’t get a thrill out of special effects.

When it comes to movies, I’m the type of person who would rather watch a well-acted, well-written, low-budget indie instead of a big-money blockbuster. If a good chunk of the movie is special effects and battle sequences, I become numb and will want to check my phone.

So that’s how someone can go 31 years on Earth without watching “Star Wars.” But in honor of the Tribune’s series on cultural blind spots, I figured what the heck? Why not give it a shot? Let’s see what all the fuss is about. I recognize that even with a lot of special effects, there can still be a good story and good acting to keep me engaged. And so many fanatics can’t be wrong, right?

So I went on Amazon and downloaded “Star Wars: A New Hope,” the first movie everybody saw in theaters.

Overall, I thought it was OK. I wasn’t feeling it until Harrison Ford showed up as Han and Sir Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The first 20 minutes or so were kind of boring, and because I was watching it late at night, I was on the verge of falling asleep. Then the scene at the bar with all the weird creatures — who had to have existed in George Lucas’ childhood nightmares — finally got my attention. Ford’s screen presence elevated the movie from a potential snoozer to watchable for me.

I could see how the battle sequences would be the most awesome thing anybody could see in a theater 40 years ago. To be honest, the effects are so dated that it reaches the point of actually looking kind of cool and unique when compared with the latest effects you can see in any comic book movie — all of which blend together for me.

I thought everybody in the movie was a terrible shot and in need of serious target practice. There are scenes in which characters and stormtroopers are firing right in front of each other and they can’t score a hit with these huge lasers that come out of their guns. How does that happen?

But in terms of what mattered most to me — the story was fine and kept me from completely tuning out. The dialogue and the acting overall weren’t what I was hoping they would be. If the highlight of watching future “Star Wars” movies is the effects and not the story and acting, then I politely decline to watch the other iterations. I’m not saying this as a drag on anybody else who loves these movies. Live your life. Enjoy what you want.